


blood bond

by snorsii



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, M/M, Slow Burn, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, akechi is a vampire hunter: the au: the feature: the experience, tags to be updated as I write
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:00:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23810449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snorsii/pseuds/snorsii
Summary: The vampire’s body has gone mostly limp at this point, the only movements being erratic twitches as he tries to get his body to move again. It won’t, of course, but the brute doesn’t appear to want to succumb. Drool oozes down the corners of his mouth, and his fangs have fully protruded by now. Akechi wants to reach down and yank them out or crush them beneath his heel, but he needs Hisakawa to be able to talk. For now, at least.“What do you want?” Hisakawa spits out.“I want to know where Shido is.”((Vampire Hunter Akechi AU))
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 18
Kudos: 152





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HEY thanks for checkin' out my fic! I've had this idea in my head for well over a year, and decided to finally hash it out because I've got horrible AkeShu brainrot thanks to p5r and vampires? sexy.  
> This is my first time posting something multi-chaptered! wowie!  
> feedback is appreciated! hope y'all enjoy!

The lighting in the bar is dim, casting shadows throughout the room. Patrons mutter between themselves, occasionally belting out a loud laugh or comment, but otherwise remain fairly quiet. It’s a nice change of pace from the usual demeanor of the place; it’s more common for Crossroads to be roaring with activity, but tonight, a calmer atmosphere radiates throughout. 

Goro Akechi sits at a table near the back, absentmindedly running one gloved finger around the rim of his half full drink. His eyes scan the perimeter of the bar, but linger on one individual in particular every so often, one dressed in the usual businessman attire: a somewhat ill-fitted grey suit, opened up to reveal a white button up and a loose tie. There’s a small, silver pin on the front pocket of his suit coat. At first glance, there’s nothing remarkable about him.

But Akechi knows better than to take things at face value.

There’s a glint in the man's mouth as he barks out an order for another whiskey, and a faint, unnatural stain to his lips. Akechi’s eyes focus there for a second, moving away to observe his table once more. The man -Kenzou Hisakawa- had been here for 2 hours already; Akechi himself had been for well over 3 now, waiting for him to show up. He’d been trailing Hisakawa for just under a month now and knew this was his usual Friday night spot. 

Akechi lifts his drink, taking a sip. Tonight was the night he was going to make his move.

It doesn’t take long for Hisakawa to finish the rest of his drink. He hangs around for another few minutes to pay his tab and make a sad attempt at flirting with the bartender before he begins stumbling towards the back exit. Akechi takes a second to empty his own glass, waiting for the doors to shut before he gets up. leaving his payment on the table. 

Upon stepping outside, the cool night air is a refreshing change from the stench of smoke and booze he had been enduring inside. He doesn’t take the time to enjoy it; he instead immediately hones in on the sound of footsteps coming from the left side of the alley. Akechi turns smoothly, taking long strides and adjusting the black leather gloves covering his hands as he follows after Hisakawa. It doesn’t take long to catch up to the staggered pace of the older man, but he continues to follow him a bit further.

“Excuse me,” Akechi calls out, the pleasant tone of his voice echoing slightly between the cold brick walls surrounding him. “I think you left something back at the bar.”

The man halts, twisting around with all the grace of a wounded elephant, squinting through the darkness at Akechi, who by all means appears unassuming and normal. Hisakawa apparently thinks so, cracking a smile at the detective. “Oh, how careless.” He replies, reaching into his pockets to double check all his belongings. He wouldn’t find anything missing, of course, but in the state he was in, Akechi doubts he’ll realize that just yet.

“It’s a good thing the bartender noticed.” Akechi says, offering his own smile back. “She called out to me as I was leaving to see if I could catch up to you before you got too far.” 

Hisakawa nods, frowning, still rummaging through his pockets. “Shit, must be my credit card, huh? I’d be shit outta luck if I’d left it back there.”

Thank god he was drunk, or just stupid, enough to let that slip. Akechi snatches at that opportunity.

“Ah, yes, it was a credit card. With the name of...Kenzou Hisakawa on it? That would be you, correct?”

Even in the darkness, Akechi can see the man beaming. _Perfect._

“Yeah!” Hisakawa replies, taking a few steps deeper into the alley towards where Akechi was standing. “That’s me alright. Can’t believe I left that back there. You have it, right?”

Akechi shakes his head, his chestnut hair brushing against his cheeks as he does so. “It’s still back at the bar,” He lies. “The bartender held onto it, just in case I wasn’t able to find you. I’d be happy to walk back with you, though. I admit I don’t usually leave this way, so I’ll be heading back that way anyways.” 

Hisakawa grins, teeth glistening sickeningly from the light of the moon above them, and walks closer towards Akechi. “...Is that so?” He asks, finally standing face to face with the detective. He’s got at least a foot of height on Akechi, and is probably about twice his weight as well. If he hadn’t dealt with this same situation more than a dozen times before tonight, Akechi might feel intimidated.The only thing he feels right now is a dull anger and determination. 

Hisakawa continues: “I wouldn’t want a pretty boy like yourself walkin’ around out here alone at this hour, ‘specially if you’re not familiar with the back streets.” He moves closer, peering down at Akechi with that toothy grin, not even trying to hide the fangs that protrude. “It’d be best if we go together.” One of his hands reaches out, brushing part of Akechi’s hair behind his ear. It takes every ounce of willpower in him to not flinch at the revolting touch, and forces out a light laugh. 

“Of course. I’d feel much safer having someone with me as I walk back. I’ve heard this district has been rather unsafe as of late.”

Akechi turns around, pleased as he hears the sound of Hisakawa following him like a pathetic, dumb dog. He makes a show of running his fingers through one side of his hair, pushing it out of the way to expose the smooth, immaculate skin of his neck. He can hear the hitch of Hisakawa’s breath as he does so.

_‘Disgusting creature.’_

The two make it further back into the alley, still a safe distance away from the back door to Crossroads. At this hour, no one else should be coming from that entrance anyways, but he’d rather not risk it.

Akechi stops suddenly, as does the man behind him. “So, Hisakawa.” He begins, the name rolling off his tongue in a manner that makes Akechi’s own stomach roll. “You’re familiar with these parts, right?”

Hisakawa takes a few steps forward, close enough that Akechi can feel his presence almost directly at his back. He turns around slowly, looking up at the man now in front of him. 

“Yeah,” He replies. “I’m here pretty often.”

Akechi smiles, one of his hands sliding up the cheap fabric of the man’s shirt, while the other dips into his own coat pocket, fingers curling around the taser. “I thought as much.” He replies, seeing the wild look in the other’s eyes. They’re the hungry eyes of a beast, anxiously waiting to tear into anything in front of it. “So, I take it you’ve heard about the disappearance of Chikako Kaede?”

The man’s whole demeanor changes in an instant, freezing up as his face contorts into a scowl. “Where’d you-”

That’s all the confirmation Akechi needs. He whips the taser out of his pocket, jabbing it as hard as he can into Hisakawa’s side. He begins to convulse, still trying to swing a clenched fist at his assailant, but Akechi dodges it swiftly, punishing the behavior with another sharp jab of the taser. Luckily, that’s enough to bring him to his knees, and Akechi wastes no time in planting his foot directly into the larger man’s chest, pushing him onto the concrete beneath them. He pockets the taser, grasping instead at a syringe, deftly uncapping it before slamming it into the vampire’s neck. Hisakawa let’s out a sharp yelp.

“Y-you-”

Before he can speak anymore, Akechi’s fist connects with his face with a sickening crunch. “Shut your mouth, beast, unless you want me to end it right here and now.” His voice is quieter now; more severe, having lost the pleasant facade it previously had. His features match it as well, his face conveying his utter disdain.

“Fuck you!” Hisakawa yells, trying to push himself up and failing to do so. His arms collapse underneath him, and he lets out another cry of pain as Akechi grinds his foot into where the taser connected. “I’ll kill you!”

Akechi scoffs, reaching into the harness beneath his coat to pull out a sleek black pistol with a silencer attached to the end. “No, Hisakawa. I’ll be the one killing you. Unless, of course, you cooperate with me. Maybe then I’ll decide to show you some mercy.” It’s a lie, of course; Akechi has no intent of letting this _thing_ beneath him live even if he coughs up all the information he’s after, but they tend to talk better when they think there’s a chance of survival. Akechi can let him believe that, for now.

Hisakawa writhes on the ground, though it’s in vain. “W-what did you inject me with, you bitch?!” It’s amusing watching him try to get up over and over again, Akechi thinks. It’s always fun watching as they realize the tables have been turned; that they’re no longer the ones in power. It’s nearly intoxicating, but he doesn’t let himself get lost in that feeling. He’s after information, after all, and the sedative won’t last forever, especially not on one of _them_.

“A sedative.” Akechi replies coldly, applying more pressure with his foot, earning him another growl. “It’ll wear off. Now, let’s talk, Hisakawa. You have some information I want, and if you tell me, I’ll let you go. Are you going to cooperate, or no?” He thrusts the gun forward to emphasize his point. 

The vampire’s body has gone mostly limp at this point, the only movements being erratic twitches as he tries to get his body to move again. It won’t, of course, but the brute doesn’t appear to want to succumb. Drool oozes down the corners of his mouth, and his fangs have fully protruded by now. Akechi wants to reach down and yank them out or crush them beneath his heel, but he needs Hisakawa to be able to talk. For now, at least.

“What do you want?” Hisakawa spits out.

“I want to know where Shido is.”

Hisakawa completely freezes, eyes blown wide. “How do you know about-”

Akechi stomps down onto the wound, cutting the other off as he screams. “That doesn’t matter. I know you’re in with him, don’t try to hide it, or this will end a lot worse for you.”

Hisakawa’s breathing is labored, and he tries again to pick himself up to no avail.

“Answer me!” Akechi shouts, but is only met with pained laughter from below him. _God,_ what he wouldn’t give to pull the trigger and put a bullet right in this _thing’s_ dead heart right now and rid the world of one more monstrosity. He composes himself, remembering his true goal. He’s been after a lead to Shido for _months_ now, and Hisakawa has the information he needs, he’s sure of it. He won’t let his anger ruin this chance. “Answer me.”

“You act tough, but you’re still just a _brat._ ” Hisakawa says, grinning. “If you were really smart, you wouldn’t be askin’ about shit like that. I would tell ya to back off now, but...It’s too late.”

Before Akechi can retort, there’s a loud crash from behind him. He whips around, aiming his gun into the darkness, but he’s too late. He can barely see the figure as it bolts towards him and crashes directly into his stomach before he has the chance to react. Akechi is knocked back, landing with a thud onto the pavement, all the wind knocked straight from his lungs. He coughs roughly as he tries to take in breath, but is stopped short as a hand wraps around his neck, pulling him up and into the air. The figure holding him up is taller than Hisakawa; much thinner and lankier, but clearly still immensely powerful. Akechi struggles against his grasp, trying to rip the hand off of him, but is met only with shrill laughter.

“You shouldn’t be sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, Goro.”

Akechi freezes, a cold chill running down his spine as the creature speaks to him. How did it know his name? How did it get here, he was sure Hisakawa was the only vampire around tonight, how could this-

His thoughts are cut off when the hand around his throat squeezes tighter, making his vision blur, and a strangled sound comes out of his mouth as he tries desperately to struggle. 

“Don’t think that we don’t know what you’re up to. Your little quest for justice ends here.” The creature says, grinning its horrible grin that’s nothing but mangled, sharp teeth. Akechi tries desperately to kick at it, but his vision is blurring, he’s, struggling, losing it, and there are claws digging into his throat and it hurts it hurts it _hurts_ -

And suddenly he’s back on the ground again, gasping for air and blinking, trying to get the stars out of his eyes. There's the sound of yelling and crashing; the two voices he recognizes and an unidentifiable one as well. That's not good, he needs to move quickly or all of this will be for nothing. He forces himself upright and makes a move to stand, but his legs feel like jelly, making it a much more difficult task than usual. There’s no time to waste, he needs to take out the thing that had hold of him and get back to Hisakawa-

Except they’re no longer there.

The only person in the alley with him is a boy around his age with thick, curly black hair and black rimmed glasses, looking unnaturally calm for what just transpired. Everything about him seems completely normal...except for his eyes, which burn brightly red even in the dark of the night.

“Are you okay?” The stranger asks, but his voice sounds further away than it should, and suddenly everything around him fades into black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wanted to keep going but this chapter was getting wordy enough as is so SHRUGS
> 
> again, feedback is appreciated, and enjoy!

Akechi has never had particularly pleasant dreams.

They’re all either enigmatic at best, or gut wrenching at their worst. Right now, he was in the middle of one that fell into the latter category.

He was almost deceived in the beginning of this one; the scene surrounding him was peaceful and nostalgic, and one that he recognized immediately as being his childhood home. The sky was painted in marvelous shades of orange and pink, and there were mingling scents of food wafting from an open window into the backyard. He was younger here, and was seated on the hard wood porch leading off from their modest house, playing with an old set of action figures he’d been gifted for his birthday. Everything seemed good, like how it used to be…until there’s a loud shriek from inside.

Akechi goes to make a move, to stand up and run inside and make sure his mother is okay, but the second he goes to move he’s frozen. He can’t even scream; when he opens his mouth to do so, it feels like sandpaper lining his throat, and his limbs feel like static. There’s yelling now to accompany his mother’s screaming, the voice belonging to a man, one that is unfamiliar yet somehow still recognizable. Time seems to move impossibly slow as the voices get louder and louder until it’s almost unbearable, when finally, it stops. There’s no noises now, not even from birds outside or the neighbors, and that is somehow worse than the previous pandemonium. 

Shivers erupt through his body, but Akechi is finally able to stand, though he is still unable to speak. His body moves lethargically towards the door, seeming to move almost in slow motion, and the door opens with a light creak. Finally he’s able to find his voice, but it sounds too small, too quiet, as he desperately calls out for his mom.

She doesn’t reply, but he can hear movement in the kitchen. It takes all the courage in his small body to continue forward, finally peering around the wall past the dining area to the kitchen. His mother’s thin frame is crouched over on the ground above something, and it isn’t until Akechi gets closer that he can make out what it is.

His mother’s hands are plunged into a heaping, writhing pile of viscera, pulling out chunks and shovelling them towards her face. Blood stains her pale, gaunt face, and dribbles down her chin to stain her white blouse, but she doesn’t notice nor care. The feast is all that’s occupying her, not even looking up at the presence of her son until he lets out a strangled sobbing noise. Even then, her head jolts up unnaturally, staring at him with pupils blown wide, her mouth contorting into a smile that’s too big and toothy for her face.

“Goro-o-o,” She calls out, but it’s not her voice. It’s wrong. It’s  _ wrong. _

Akechi starts to turn, to run, but he’s too slow, no match for the thing in his mother’s skin. It tackles him, twisting him around so he’s on her back, and he’s trying to get away but she’s so much bigger and stronger. In one more quick move, her face lunges towards him, teeth ragged and bared-

He jolts upright, the feeling of sweat covering his body, pulling his hands up to his face and hiding in them. He tries to control his breathing, to make it even enough to  _ focus _ , but he can’t get the image of...of his  _ mother  _ out of his head.

“Looks like you’re finally awake.”

Akechi’s head snaps up, finally realizing he’s not in his own bed. He’s in...a doctor’s office? Some kind of clinical room, that’s for sure, and sitting at a desk adjacent to him is a woman with short, choppy black hair and a doctor's coat. The rest of her attire is...far from professional, especially for someone in the medical field, but that’s not exactly at the top of Akechi’s list of concerns right now.

He looks around the room, taking in his surroundings, using the extra time to calm himself down. Right. 

“Where am I?” He asks, and he cringes at how  _ rough  _ his voice sounds. 

“My clinic.” She responds, swiping a clipboard off of her desk and scooting closer to the bed Akechi is in. “You were brought in last night.”

Last night...the events come flooding back to him, and more than anything, he feels an unbridled rage seep into his system. Hisakawa got away, leaving Akechi with no info, and furthermore...there was the issue of the vampire that was about to kill him. His head was fuzzy, and the darkness of the night combined with the shock and pain had made it almost impossible to ascertain what they looked like. There was something  _ off  _ about them; something that seemed inhuman, even for a vampire.

“There was no real damage to you. Seems to me like you just went unconscious, probably from lack of airflow. I’m surprised you were out for so long, though. Does anything feel off? Any other pains?” She looks up from her clipboard, her dark eyes meeting Akechi’s.

“...No.” He replies, still feeling the strain of using his voice. “I’m a little sore, but I’m alright.”

“That’s good.” She marks a few things down. “I’d say you’re good to go, then. Nothing more than bruising around your neck and on your stomach.”

Akechi’s brow furrows slightly. “Shouldn’t I be paying you for this?”

“Yup. One million yen.”

“T-that seems a bit high for a simple-”

“It was a joke.” The doctor says, a playful smirk on her lips. Akechi thinks she is...rather odd, all things considered, though he is rather grateful she isn’t asking too many questions, especially considering the marks around his neck. “You were brought in by a...friend of mine. I owe him a lot, so I’ll just write this off.”

Akechi nods, twisting in the bed so he can slide his legs off the side. “Who was it exactly who brought me in? I’m afraid I don’t remember too much about what happened.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. While he remembered the greater part of what had transpired during the night, he could only recall vague details about the person who had, supposedly, saved him: unruly black hair and glasses, neither of which were great defining features. That could be any number of people in Tokyo. 

“That would be Akira Kurusu. He’s exceptionally nosy, so it’s not surprising he was the one to find you…” She trails off with a light, amused huff, expressing her familiarity with him. “He lives in the area at a cafe called Leblanc, if you wanted to thank him personally.”

Akira Kurusu...Akechi was definitely intrigued. Even with Hisakawa still groggy from the sedative, there was an extremely unlikely chance that one normal person would be able to fend off two vampires, let alone well enough to get them to flee. In Akechi’s experience, they were prideful beasts; they either got what they wanted from their prey or died trying. Running away wasn’t in their nature unless they were truly backed into a corner and cowardly. 

“Ah, I see.” Akechi responds finally, standing up. His legs feel a little strange, and overall he’s sore, but he shrugs it off. He  _ needs  _ to talk to this Akira. “Thank you for taking care of me, doctor, um-”

“Takemi.” She offers, placing the clipboard back onto her desk and exchanging it for a small, black business card. Takemi hands it to Akechi, who accepts it, sliding it into the pocket of his slacks. “Let me know if your condition changes.”

“I’ll be sure to do that. Thank you again.”

Takemi leads him out of the small exam room and into a brighter lit waiting room. Akechi thanks her a final time before exiting the clinic, opening up to an alleyway. In hindsight, maybe he should’ve asked for the specific location of the cafe, but going back in would feel...awkward. Akechi sighs, breathing in the mingling, mixed scents of the area, and turns a corner. There’s a small grocery store nearby, and a run-down looking building advertising itself as a movie theater. He continues walking down the street, trying to think more about last night, trying to remember something,  _ anything _ , that might help him in his mission but...There’s nothing.

It’s all Akechi can do to keep himself from scowling or letting out a frustrated yell as he walks. He’s unfamiliar with the area and doesn’t need to be drawing attention to himself, but he just feels so  _ angry _ . He could’ve gotten information on Shido, and it all went and got fucked over because of that mysterious second vampire. If only he could’ve made out what its face looked like, or some other defining feature, but when he thinks back all he can remember is the mess of mangled teeth protruding from its mouth, ready to devour him…

It makes him remember his nightmare. His mother had a similar mouth; gaping and horrible, dripping with gore, eyes empty...

Akechi suppresses the feeling. Now isn’t the time to get worked up over childish nightmares. There are more important matters to attend to. Right as he’s thinking that, the bitter, pleasant aroma of coffee penetrates his senses, causing him to look around. Leblanc must be close; he doubts in a community as small as this there would be another cafe, after all. It doesn’t take much longer to spot it; once rounding another corner, the scent of coffee gets stronger, along with a seperate, savory scent. Akechi’s stomach growls instinctually, realizing he hasn’t eaten since before his stakeout at Crossroads last night. 

His nose steered him in the right direction. In between other buildings there’s an unassuming doorway with a red and white awning stretched above it with the cafe’s name printed on it. Akechi takes a moment to collect himself before reaching out and opening the door, a small bell ringing out to announce his entrance. The interior is not what he expected: it’s cramped yet cozy, and feels oddly nostalgic. The lighting glows warm throughout, illuminating small booths and a bar, and if Akechi thought it smelt good from outside, being  _ inside  _ was a hundred times better. The mingling of coffee beans and spices permeate the air, and while it’s an entirely unique scent to him, one that he wouldn’t have imagined working, it defies his expectations and smells absolutely  _ heavenly _ . A jolt of hunger spikes through him once again.

However, he ignores that at first, instead letting his eyes focus on the only two people in the building. One is an older gentleman with slicked back black hair and goatee, donning a light pink shirt beneath his apron. The other...is the same boy from last night.

Akira Kurusu.

“Welcome.” The older man speaks out, turning his attention away from the small TV near the back to greet Akechi. Akira also looks his way, and Akechi is pleased to see the ever-so-slight look of surprise on his face. Good. The fact he seemed to recognize Akechi meant this was, without a doubt, who he was looking for.

“It smells wonderful in here,” Akechi says, offering the duo a smile, taking his eyes off of Akira to examine the multitude of coffee beans on display behind him. “I couldn’t help but stop in.” 

This earns him a smile. “Well, glad you decided to. What can I get you?”

Akechi slides into one of the seat at the bar, unbuttoning his coat and draping it across the back of the chair, which is much more comfortable than it had appeared. “Hm, well it is my first time here. What would you recommend?”

The older man seems to examine Akechi for a moment before nodding. “I’ll whip you up something. Akira-” Akira looks up. “Can you get him a plate of curry?”

“Sure.” Akira replies, pulling his hands out from his pants pockets and walking towards the compact kitchen area. He moves smoothly, like he’s done this hundreds of times before, gathering a perfect amount of rice onto a place and slathering the top of it with a thick, rich looking curry. That must be where the complex, spicy aroma was coming from. The other man, meanwhile, had selected one of the tubs of coffee beans, scooping out a precise amount and dropping it into the grinder. He buzzes them for a short while, seeming to know exactly how long was the perfect time, and sets to work on brewing the now ground beans.

Akira slides behind him, placing the plate of curry in front of Akechi along with a napkin and a spoon. He locks eyes with him for a moment, maybe trying to read him, before making his way over to the sink to occupy himself with washing dishes. Akechi wonders how he’s going to get the chance to speak with him like this, but...his stomach overrules that thought for the moment. Another moment later and a small porcelain cup filled with a wonderful smelling brew is set in front of him.

“Coffee and curry, huh?” Akechi questions. “A rather odd combination.”

“Hey, I wouldn’t still be in business if it didn’t work. Give it a try.”

Akechi obeys, taking a spoonful of curry and bringing it to his mouth. The deep flavors explode immediately, coating his mouth as he chews, and while he’s no expert on culinary endeavors...He thinks he can safely say this is the best curry he’s ever had. That must’ve been conveyed on his face, because he hears a light chuckle come from the older man. 

“Take a sip of the coffee.” He suggests, leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed. Once again, Akechi does as told, inhaling the scent of the coffee before taking a tentative sip. There’s a mellow earthiness to it that fills him with warmth, and the aftertaste of the curry mixes with it, providing a truly unique yet delicious experience.

“Oh, wow,” Akechi says, setting the cup down. “I’ll admit, that is quite delicious.”

“Right?” The older man shifts, beginning to walk around the counter. “Anyways, enjoy. I got some errands to run, so watch the shop until I’m back, Akira.”

Well. How convenient. 

“Got it.” Akira replies, turning his head to watch his boss leave before returning his attention to the dishes. Akechi figures he can wait until after he’s done. After all, he’s ravenous and isn’t about to let this curry go to waste. 

The TV plays in the background, accompanying the sound of running water as Akechi continues to eat. Every now and then he lets his eyes linger on Akira’s back as he works, trying to make sense of him. He seems...normal. There’s nothing that stands out about him, which just serves to add more and more questions to Akechi’s mind. The scenario last night makes no sense to him. How did such a  _ nobody  _ manage to drive off  _ two vampires? _

The water shuts off right as Akechi finishes his last bite of curry. Akira walks behind the counter, standing in front of where the other is seated, looking wholly uninterested.

“Thank you for the meal,” Akechi says, breaking the silence in between them. 

“Glad you enjoyed it. Sojiro makes great coffee.” Akira replies. His voice is even, not hinting at anything. 

“Takemi told me you were the one who dropped me off at the clinic,” Akechi says, raising his cup to his lips and taking another sip, eyeing Akira over the brim. “I’m lucky to have been found by someone so willing to help a stranger…”

Akira raises a hand, fiddling with a lock of his thick hair. “Well, I couldn’t just leave you there…”

He’s beating around the bush. Akechi looks towards the door, setting down his cup with an audible clink. “What happened to the two who were with me?” Akechi asks, though his voice conveys that he’s not  _ asking  _ for an answer. He’s demanding one. “Did you let them escape?”

Akira is silent for a moment, shoving his hands back into his pockets. 

“You’re not in a position to remain quiet, you know.” Akechi says, prodding again for an answer.

“I don’t know.” Akira replies finally. “I didn’t see where they went.”

Akechi feels a wave of anger burst through him, and he clenches his fists unconsciously. Of  _ course.  _ Of  _ fucking course _ this is how this was going to go. Some nobody comes along and disrupts his investigation, and now his best lead is gone without a trace. His trail on Shido had gone cold just like that.

“How did you get out of there?” Akechi’s gaze is intense as he stares Akira down. “Do you...know what they are?” That seems to trigger something; there’s a slight flinch in Akira’s face. So he does know. He  _ knows.  _

The bell above the door rings out as a couple walks in. Akechi leans back in his chair, willing himself to remain calm. 

“Can you come back later tonight? After we close?” Akira says, his voice hushed as he speaks, not wanting the other patrons to hear. “I can’t talk about this now.” He nods his head towards the customers.

Akechi nods. “You’ll tell me then?”

“Everything I know.”

Satisfied, Akechi stands up. He pays for his coffee and curry, and leaves the cafe after taking one look back at Akira, who’s occupied chatting up the customers. There’s something that doesn’t add up for him about him and this whole situation, but he can’t place his finger on it. It irritates him, but he knows there’s not much he can do until tonight when he meets back up with Akira. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Akechi begins to walk towards the station; there’s still a few hours before Leblanc closes, so he might as well head home for now and collect himself before meeting back with Akira.


	3. Chapter 3

The first thought on Akechi’s mind when he gets back to his apartment is showering. He feels grimy and sore and wants to wash off any possible remnants of the previous night off. He wastes no time on tossing his coat haphazardly onto the couch and heading down the hall into the modest bathroom, cranking the valve in the shower to as hot as it will go. While waiting for the temperature to reach the level he wants it at, Akechi unbuttons his shirt, discarding it onto the floor. His image is reflected back at him in the mirror, and he sees for the first time the damage that beast did to him.

There’s a distinct mark around his throat, the color already contorted into a dark, purplish color. There are darker marks where the vampire's fingers had dug into his skin, and Akechi tentatively brushes his fingers along it. Even his gentle touch is enough to send a small spark of pain through it, and he winces, pulling his hand away. The bruise on his stomach is even worse; it’s darker, and much bigger than his own fist. He pokes at it, flinching at the sting of it, and sighs. The one on his stomach wouldn’t be an issue to hide, but his neck...would be an entirely different story.

Akechi shakes his head, giving himself a once over before removing the remainder of his clothes and stepping into the shower. The immediate burn from the much-too-hot water makes him shudder, but he bears it, shutting his eyes letting the feeling wash over him. It takes a minute, but once he’s mostly adjusted to the temperature, Akechi wastes no time in going through his usual shower routine. Usually he’d let himself indulge in it a bit more, using the time to free himself of his thoughts and focus instead on the feeling of the water, but today...he had other things on his mind. His eyes keep flicking down to the bruise on his stomach, and with the sight of it, he feels a sear of anger ignite in him. 

He shuts the water off with more force than necessary.

The steam from the shower coats the mirror, and he takes an odd sense of solace from the fact he isn’t able to see his reflection or the marks left on him. By no means is it the first time he’s been wounded by vampires; in fact, he’s suffered much worse than simple bruising, and he has the scars to prove it. But the fact that they remind him of his failure, of how he let Hisakawa slip through his fingers when he was  _ so close  _ to uncovering some vital information about Shido was...grating, to say the least. 

Akechi grabs a soft grey towel from off a hook, patting himself dry and taking extra precaution to be gentle around his injuries. He wrings out the ends of his hair with it, noting in the back of his head that he needs to get it trimmed up sometime soon. After finishing, he wraps the towel around his waist, exiting the bathroom and heading back down the hall into his bedroom.

His room is...admittedly a bit of a mess. He’s been so busy tracking Hisakawa the past few weeks he’s barely spent time at home, and as such, the organization of most areas in the small apartment has suffered. It’s not  _ horrible _ , but seeing clothes on the floor, along with empty instant noodle cups and dishes laying around adds yet another layer of stress. Really though, it’s not at the top of his list of concerns, not at the moment, at least, so he pushes the thought to the side as he sifts through his closet. Luckily, there’s a muted burnt orange turtleneck sweater hanging amongst his clothes. That would work to cover up his neck. He pairs it with a pair of dark grey slacks, and takes a second to look over himself in a full length mirror hanging from his door.

He looks professional and entirely normal aside from the mess of his wet hair, he thinks, and the sweater works to cover up any indication that he had almost been strangled to death less than a day ago. Perfect; he really didn’t need anyone questioning what had happened to him, especially outside of the few who knew he was a hunter. Even then, he didn’t want to admit his defeat to them, though he really ought to break the news about Hisakawa escaping…

Akechi sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. The past 24 hours were really just one headache after another. He debates on making the call until after meeting back up with Akira in the event that he has some more information, but Akechi is...skeptical. If he wasn’t desperate for information he wouldn’t have agreed to speak with Akira again, but he was truly backed into a corner with no leads right now. If Akira did in fact have even an inkling of an idea as to where Shido was, or could point him towards someone who did, then he could chase that. It seemed unlikely that a random barista at a worn-down cafe would know  _ anything  _ about the vampire underground, but he  _ had  _ fended off two of them by himself…Maybe it wasn’t such a stretch after all.

Akechi composes himself. He hasn’t felt this frazzled in a long time; not since starting this endless chase for Shido. His head feels like it’s buzzing constantly, trying to make sense of everything going on around him. Regardless though, he’ll have something figured out in a few hours time...hopefully, anyways. 

Exiting his room, Akechi stops back by the bathroom to hang up his towel again and run a comb through his hair, pleased with how easily it glides through. He’s looking like his normal self, and that’s good enough for him. He continues through the apartment, reaching the couch he’d thrown his coat onto upon arriving home, fishing through the pockets until he finds his phone. Taking a seat, Akechi unlocks his phone, swiping away the countless email and news notifications. Among them is a missed call and a text from his colleague: Sae Nijima. Not only did she work alongside him in his day-job duties, but she also took on the task of exterminating vampires, just like him. She had been at it much longer than he had, and had been the one to get Akechi into the field to begin with after he’d caught wind of her and her team and demanded to become part of it.

Well, he’s going to have to confront her at some point anyways, he may as well do it now. 

Akechi redials her, brushing his hair out of the way before holding the phone up to his ear. It rings twice before he’s greeted with Nijima’s usual stoic tone: “Sae Nijima speaking.”

“Ah, it’s Akechi.” He replies. “I’m back home finally.”

“Where were you?” Sae asks, and he can hear the shuffling of papers on her end of the line. “I called you multiple times.”

Akechi already feels exhausted and this conversation had only just begun. “I was in a clinic overnight. I apologize for my silence…” He trails off.

“A clinic? What happened?” Sae sounds genuinely surprised. “You didn’t get-”

“No, no.” Akechi stops her there. He’s not even going to entertain the thought of being bitten by one of those  _ creatures. _ “I was interrogating Hisakawa. Right when he was about to spill something...I was caught off guard by another one.”

“Hisakawa wasn’t alone?” 

“He was when I brought him down. I had him incapacitated, at gunpoint, and that’s when...the other one showed up. I didn’t even sense him before it was too late.”

Sae is quiet for a moment, and Akechi adjusts himself on the couch. Retelling his failings wasn’t pleasant in the least, but Sae deserved to know. She would find out eventually, anyways, seeing as they were both working on the same case...That of the disappearance of a fellow member of their team, Chikako Kaede, and the overlying threat of the supposed mastermind behind the vampire’s crimes, Masayoshi Shido. Chikako was more  _ in  _ with the vampires than anyone else dared; she worked to gain their trust and gathered intel on them, acting as a mole within their ranks. More than anyone, she had delivered the most information on the vampiric cult, and as such was always at greater risk than the rest of the team, even if she didn’t actively slay them.

Then one day, Chikako vanished. She had come home one night, and the next morning, she was gone. There were no traces of where she was or what had happened, but both Akechi and Sae knew better than to think of it as a simple act of running away. Something had happened to her, and it was most likely linked to Shido.

Sae had been devastated at her loss, while Akechi felt...more inconvenienced, than anything. Chikako was a valuable source of information, and her getting caught just meant Shido’s guard would be up more than ever. Plus, she could’ve spilled any amount of information on their hunter organization. Akechi wanted to believe she had more guts and pride than to reveal information on her teammates, but he knew what desperate people did, how far they’d go if their life was hanging by a thread. Anything to grasp at that chance; to seize an opportunity to escape.

“Did you see their face?” Sae’s voice breaks Akechi out of his train of thought.

“...No.” Akechi replies, and he can sense the frustration even from over the phone. “I was attacked and it was dark. I couldn’t make out its face before I collapsed. All I remember...was that it was taller than any normal person. And  _ strong. _ ”

There’s another long silence before Sae speaks again. “I see...Wait, if you were attacked, how did you escape?”

There’s the question Akechi wasn’t looking forward to answering. Getting taken down was enough of a blow, but telling her he’d been saved by a  _ nobody  _ was somehow worse. “Someone intervened.” He responds. “Not another hunter, as far as I know. I don’t understand it myself, but one minute Hisakawa and the other were there, and the next, it’s just me and some stranger in the alley...He brought me to the clinic after I passed out.”

“Who was it? No normal person would be capable of driving off one, let alone  _ two,  _ vampires!” 

“Yes, I’m aware.” Akechi tries to keep the irritation out of his voice, but he’s feeling more exhausted than before at this point, and wants this conversation to be over with. “I’m meeting up with him again tonight to ask questions. He said he would tell me what he knows.”

“And you’re just trusting that? This could be a set up, you know.”

“I’ve thought about that and will be prepared for such a situation.”

Sae is silent again, and Akechi can hear the gentle clicking of a keyboard as she works, and then a long sigh. “Alright. Report back to me if you find out anything useful. I’m going to look into getting another lead...Hisakawa was the last one seen with Chikako, but not the only one.”

Akechi feels something in his chest clench. He knew what Sae was getting at; this was her way of saying it was  _ okay  _ that he screwed this up, even if he could tell she was agitated right now. He didn’t need that, nor did he  _ want  _ it. He’d rather be yelled at for his mistakes than have unwelcomed  _ pity  _ thrust onto him

He swallows the anger. “Alright. I’ll look into it as well and I’ll let you know about tonight.” 

“Be careful, Akechi.”

“I will.”

Akechi hangs up his phone, staring down into his lap. There's nothing he can do right now, he knows it, but that doesn't help the welling feeling of  _ uselessness  _ and  _ hate _ rising up through him. He drops the phone onto the rug beneath, bringing his hands up and burying his face in them, fingers coiling tightly into his bangs and pulling roughly until he feels like he'll rip the hair out. 

He drags his hands down his face, downwards until they brush against the tenderness of his neck, digging in for a moment, relishing in the sharp pain that rolls over him, then finally fall back into his lap. Akechi then throws himself down onto the couch, tucking his face into a pillow and letting out a yell that's more akin to a growl. It's muffled, the sound soaking into the empty silence of the apartment like blood into cotton. Pulling away from the pillow after a moment, he takes a deep breath, feeling slightly calmer but also infinitely more tired. 

Part of him considers taking a short nap, but the other part of him is too restless to allow it. The latter wins, and Akechi rolls over, scooping his phone off the ground. He has emails to reply to from his agency, and he needs to send out his own to some connections to see if any news has popped up on the Shido front. The few remaining hours pass this way, with Akechi sending out messages and scouring news sites and police reports for anything that could be linked back to his search with fruitless results. Nothing new has come to light, of course, which was just adding to the seemingly endless frustrations today has brought him.

It’s enough to kill time, at least. Though he feels unsatisfied with his lack of findings, Akechi has other plans to attend to today. The next train out to Yongen-Jaya would be departing soon, signaling to him that he should head back out. Factoring in the time it would take to walk from the station back over to Leblanc, Akechi should arrive shortly after the cafe closed its doors for the night. He can only hope Akira intends to keep his promise.

The trains are less crowded than usual thanks to the late hour, which Akechi is grateful for. He doesn’t need another packed ride full of people bumping into him while his patience is already dangerously low. Luckily, the time seems to pass by quickly, and after his transfer he arrives back in Yongen. Night time serves the area well, he thinks; it’s quiet, the street lights illuminating the buildings in a warm yellow glow. There’s an air of calm melancholy hanging heavily over the streets, and Akechi is quite fond of it. 

He doesn’t take any extra time to appreciate it, however. His focus is on Leblanc, and it’s easy to locate the small cafe from his previous venture through this area. The light outside is still on despite the sign reading closed. Akechi knocks on the door, anticipation creeping through him, and a few moments later he hears the clicking of a lock, followed by the door easing open. Akira stands before him, still clad in the same attire he had been when Akechi was here a few hours earlier.

“I’m glad you answered.” Akechi says, and he means it. If Akira hadn’t followed through with this, he would’ve had to break in and  _ demand  _ an answer.

“Of course I did.” Akira replies, stepping aside to let Akechi in. Once he does, Akira locks the door again, hitting a light switch to turn the outside light off. “C’mon, we can talk upstairs.”

Akira slips the apron off over his head, placing it onto a small rack behind the counter. Afterwards, he heads up a narrow staircase past the shop's bathroom. Akechi follows him, the steps creaking slightly as they ascend. At the top, he’s greeted with...a bedroom? Which is not what he was expecting, though he supposes Takemi  _ had  _ told him Akira lived here.

It’s shabby, to put it kindly; there’s a small bed in the corner below windows looking out over the streets, an ugly threadbare sofa, and a  _ CRT TV of all things _ , along with a desk and some shelves. Akechi is...taken aback. He’s not sure what he would have pictured Akira’s room looking like, but it wasn’t this. Despite the overall pitiful appearance of the space, it does have an odd sense of charm to it. 

Akira must’ve noticed Akechi’s obvious gawking at the room, and shifts uncomfortably where he stands. “It’s not much, but Sojiro lets me live here for free.” Akechi is curious to what exactly the circumstances were that led him to residing here, but that’s not at the top of his concerns at the moment. “You can sit down, if you want.”

Akechi takes him up on that offer, walking over to the couch and sitting down, surprised at how comfortable it is. Akira takes a seat on his bed, fiddling with his bangs in the silence suppressing the room. 

“I don’t think I got your name earlier.” Akira says. He’s looking over at Akechi now, arms resting on his legs with his hands dangling between them. 

“Are you usually in the business of inviting strangers whose names you don’t even know into your room?” Akechi chides, suppressing an amused laugh. 

Akira looks a little surprised at that before his expression softens into a small smirk. “No, not usually. This is a special case, and I didn’t think you’d take no for an answer.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.” Akechi pushes some of his hair back, locking eyes with Akira. He notices now that the other has strangely colored eyes hidden behind the thick frames he wears; they’re an unusual, steely shade of grey, contradicting his otherwise plain appearance. He shoves the thought to the side. “My name’s Goro Akechi.”

The other is silent for a moment, brow furrowing the slightest bit before relaxing again. “The detective?” Akechi nods, and Akira stares at him a moment longer before continuing. “Ah. I’ve heard about you on TV but didn’t recognize you.”

Akechi feels like he should be growing more agitated at all the small talk, but, to his surprise, his mood stays stable. “Yes, I’ve appeared quite a few times on various talk shows to discuss some cases I’ve worked on. That’s probably where you’ve seen me before.”

“Can’t believe I saved the life of a celebrity.” 

“I wouldn’t go so far as to call me a celebrity,” Akechi is definitely irked by that statement, but he lets it slide. “Nonetheless,  _ you  _ still haven’t introduced yourself.”

“I figured you already had my name, detective. It’s Akira Kurusu.”

Obviously, Akechi had gotten his name from Takemi, but it was more about the  _ act  _ of introductions than hearing his name again. Pleased with that, Akechi moves on.

“Now that we’re acquainted with one another, I believe you have some information for me, correct?” Akechi speaks, voice low despite the cafe being closed. It’s a force of habit more than anything. 

Akira nods, seemingly uncomfortable again; it’s not very noticeable, but Akechi picks up on him playing with his hair again. “Yeah. You know about... _ them _ , right?”

Akechi can only assume Akira means the vampires. “Yes, I’m well aware of their existence, hence my encounter with them last night. I was trying to get information out of one of them when the other showed up.” The words are bitter in his mouth as he says it, but Akira knows all too well what transpired that night. “That’s why I want to know where they went.”

“I didn’t see where they ran off to.” Akira says, a repeat of what he had told Akechi earlier in the day. “But I have an idea as to where they might be.”

Akechi feels a surge of exhilaration bubble up in him as he hears this. Normally he wouldn’t let himself get so worked up over something like this, as it was better to keep his expectations low. But, he had no other leads, and Akira  _ had  _ intervened the previous night. Maybe this wouldn’t all be for nothing. In fact, if he actually knew where the two vampires had scurried away to, there was a chance Shido could be there too.

Nonetheless, he remains somewhat skeptical. “How do you know that?”

“We’ve been looking into the vampires as well.” Akira says, and that floors Akechi.  _ We? _ There was more than just Akira? He knew there were other sects of hunters, but he thought he knew of all the ones in the area. “There’s been a string of attacks linked to them, innocent people are being hurt because they’re out of control. The police don’t seem to care, either.”

Akechi nods. “Yes, it’s clear they’re all connected. These are more than random attacks; they all tie in together to benefit their leader. Though, where that leader is, I’m unsure.” 

“Exactly.” Akira crosses his legs. “They’re getting away doing whatever they want to  _ whoever  _ they want. It’s not right. It’s not  _ just.  _ I want to put an end to it.”

Akechi can sense the bitter undertones in Akira’s words. It sounded like he had his own grudge against them, which served to deepen Akechi’s interest in him. “It seems you and I share a similar goal, then, Kurusu. We both want to put an end to the vampires and their wrong doings, no?” 

He stands up, taking a few steps over to where Akira was still seated. Akechi looks down at him before extending his hand. “What say we work together for now? I have a feeling you’d make a great ally.”

Akira stares up at him through his long lashes for a moment before a determined smile takes over his face. He stands up, grasping Akechi’s hand.

“It’s a deal.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wowie zowie sorry for taking so long to update! i caught smooth brain syndrome and wasn't happy with anything i was writing.   
> i should be back to writing more regularly now!  
> regardless, i hope y'all enjoy! +w+

Akechi didn’t linger around Akira’s room for much longer after their deal had been set in stone. He had wanted to talk more, yes, but Akira kept yawning, and Akechi himself felt exhausted as well. He hadn’t properly slept since the day of his failed heist and, well, it was definitely catching up to him. There was a lingering burn behind his eyes and he was finding it difficult to pay attention to everything Akira was saying. He  _ needed _ to get this info, and yet it felt like his thoughts were swimming through molasses. Trying to ground himself, he pinches the bridge of his nose, squinting his eyes shut.

“...Akechi?” Akira’s voice comes from the other corner of the room; they’d moved back to their original places on the bed and couch. “Are you okay?”

Akechi realizes he’d been spacing out and missed the entirety of what Akira had said before.  _ Shit.  _ “Ah, yes, sorry. Just feeling a bit tired.” Well, more than a bit, but that wasn’t any concern of his. “It’s been quite a long day.”

Akira stretches his arms above his head, his shirt riding up and revealing the slightest sliver of skin under it. A pleased sigh escapes his lips at the motion. “I can imagine, you- wait.” Akira cuts himself short, casting a scrutinizing glance over Akechi. “Have you...gotten  _ any  _ sleep since you were here earlier?” 

“Unless you count however long I was unconscious in Takemi's clinic, no, I haven't." Akira stares at him incredulously, and Akechi's lack of sleep makes him want to slap the look off his face. " _ What? _ "

"You really should get some sleep. You...went through a lot last night." The gentleness in Akira's voice only amplifies that spike of agitation he feels. "We can pick this up tomorrow, if you want. I can leave the shop early."

Although he's irritated with it, Akechi has to admit he's ready to fall asleep where he's seated. If he were to close his eyes, he knows he'd be out in a flash; it’s hard enough to keep them open as it were. Trying to work through this whole  _ mess  _ while depriving his mind of a much needed rest wasn’t going to work well, no matter how much he wished for the opposite. He’d experienced too many frustrating, sleep deprived nights of working through cases to hope for anything else.

“What time?” Akechi asks, resisting his own urge to yawn. 

Akira is silent for a moment, brow furrowing a bit as he thinks. “How about 3pm?” He suggests, and when Akechi nods, he continues. “We won’t be able to meet up here, though. The shop will still be open, so we can’t exactly talk privately.”

“Understandable. I wouldn’t be comfortable knowing there were prying ears close by.” Akechi replies. He could always bring Akira over to his apartment, but he had a myriad of issues with  _ that  _ idea, not limited to him not wanting to draw any attention to the place where he lived. Crossroads could be another option, but considering that he’d been nearly choked to death there less than 24 hours ago, he’d really rather  _ not. _ He mulls over locations in his mind, weighing the pros and cons of each. “I think I know a place we can use. Can you meet me over in Kichijoji tomorrow?”

“Kichijoji? Yeah, I can.”

“Perfect.” Akechi stands up from the couch, feeling the ache in his limbs as he does so. “3pm at Kichijoji. We’ll go from there.”

Akira joins him in standing, and starts to walk towards the staircase. Just as Akechi goes to follow him, he stops at the head of the stairs.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Akira digs into his pocket, pulling out his phone before turning back around to face Akechi. “We should exchange numbers.”

He’s right, of course, so Akechi takes out his own phone from his pocket. A moment later, they have each other's contact info down, and Akechi swears he can see a hint of a smile pull on Akira’s lips. He doesn’t know why; this is strictly business related, after all. It wasn’t like they were friends now, or ever  _ would  _ be. Akechi didn’t have time for trivial matters like that.

  
  


"...And done." Nonetheless, Akechi offers Akira a pleasant, albeit fake, smile in return, then follows him as he descends the stairs. 

It's gotten much darker in the time he's been up in Akira's attic-room, but he should still have some time until the last trains roll through. The atmosphere of Leblanc feels drastically different with the shroud of night overlapping it. What was warm and inviting earlier now has a certain air of melancholy to it, one that feels oddly nostalgic, though he can't quite place why. It's not necessarily  _ bad _ , but it's not a feeling he's used to. He knows he must be more tired than he thought, because the thought of wanting to be here more crosses his mind for a brief moment. It's disgustingly sentimental enough to make him want to gag.  _ God _ he needs sleep. 

Akira is at the door before Akechi, unlocking it with a soft click before turning to face the other. "Do you want me to walk you to the station? Just in case."

' _ In case of what?'  _ He thinks bitterly. ' _ In case you need to play hero again? I'm not weak or stupid enough to be caught off guard again.' _

"I should be okay; thank you." He says instead. "I'll text you the location tomorrow." As he approaches the door, Akira's expression is blank. ' _ What are you thinking?'  _ As irritating as it is, he wants to know what is going on inside Akira's head, what his connection to all of this is outside of seeking some kind of deluded justice. People didn't help others out of the kindness of their hearts, Akechi had learned; there had to be some reward in it, some payoff, for others to stick their necks out for one another. Akira was no doubt the same, hunting after the truth for his own reasons and gain, and Akechi wholly expected the inevitable outcome of his new "acquaintance" to try and wrench some favor out of Akechi for his help.

That's how it always was, and how it always would be. He wouldn't delude himself to think otherwise. 

"Okay." Akira simply replies. He opens the door, the cool night breeze wafting in and brushing against what little exposed skin he had. It was refreshing compared to the stuffy air in Akira's room. "Call me if there's trouble. I'll see you tomorrow, Akechi."

_ 'There won't  _ **_be_ ** _ any trouble, and if there is, I can handle it myself. Don't get cocky just because you happened to save me  _ **_once_ ** _.' _

"Of course. You do the same, Kurusu." Akechi replies, avoiding looking at him as he exits Leblanc. He doesn't bother with any extra farewells, though he notices the way Akira's eyes linger on his back, how he waits until Akechi is a good distance away to shut the door. He really was...strange, albeit interesting, Akechi had to admit. It left him curious, wanting to know what led the other to taking on the same mantle as himself; God knows Akechi wouldn't know about the existence of the vampires if it weren't for his mother's death. Did Akira undergo something similar, or perhaps…

Well, he'd have to do some research on him, that was for sure. That was a great boon of working side by side with the police: The information on others he had access to was vast and at his fingertips. It  _ almost  _ made working with those talentless, horrid pigs worth it.

_ Almost. _

The rest of his trek home is uneventful, and after what feels like an eternity, Akechi is back in his single bedroom apartment. Truthfully, he's never been happier to see his bed, and it takes a shameful amount of willpower to make himself go through his nightly rounds: brushing teeth, a light skincare routine, a handful of vitamins, another shower for good measure. By the time he's done, he doesn't even bother expending the energy to throw on a pair of pajamas, settling instead for sleeping in just a pair of boxers. He barely remembers to set an alarm for the morning, and after that, he's out like a light.

  
  
  


**************

  
  


The sun beaming in from the window wakes Akechi before his alarm is able to. He tries shutting the light out by covering his face with his pillow, but that only serves to make it hard for him to breathe. With a groan he rolls over, shutting the alarm off before it's able to begin blaring. He has a few hours to kill, so he doesn't hurry out of bed, opting to scroll through news articles and emails while he lets his mind wake up.

...There was another murder last night. A young man, not much older than himself, found dead in a back alley of Kichijoji. The police pinned it as an animal attack, due to there being scratches covering his body and a large chunk of meat being bitten off of the front of the neck unceremoniously, gore splattered across the concrete.

But Akechi wasn't dumb. He knew better. And apparently, so did Sae; there was a text from her regarding it, asking him if he could look into it. She had her hands full at the moment and wouldn't be able to head there until later. 

...Well, he's supposed to meet with Akira there anyways. Might as well get a headstart. Before he does though, he opens up a new message, clicking the barista's number.

**[** **Akechi 8:13 AM** : Good morning, Kurusu. This is Akechi. **]**

**[** **Akechi 8:14 AM** : I'm sure you've seen it on the news already, but there's been another  attack, most likely from our fanged friends. This happened in Kichijoji. I'll be heading there soon and will keep you updated. **]**

**[** **Akechi 8:20 AM** : Ah, and don't feel the need to rush here. I'm just going to be questioning some of the locale. I will see you after 3. **]**

Even though it's strictly on a business basis, it still feels….foreign to message someone outside of his department. Almost all of his messages were sent out to Sae, with a few here and there to others in their group. Adding a new name to that list, which had remained stagnant for so long, was  _ weird _ . And not in a good way.

...Was there even a  _ good _ kind of weird? 

Regardless, Akechi finally pulls himself out of bed, taking a few moments to space out and stare at the wall as if it were a work of art and not a blank white space with a small shelf affixed to it. As thrilling as that is, he knows he needs to get moving...even if he still aches, both for more sleep, and from his time with Hisakawa and whatever that  _ thing  _ with him was. His hand glides gently across the spanse of his neck, wincing at how tender it still is.

That small flicker of discontent is enough to fuel him to stand up and get his morning going. Can’t exactly take down a race of bloodthirsty monsters with bedhead and boxers.

Actually, scratch that. Akechi is sure he contained enough rage to rip a vampire to shreds with his bare hands right now, regardless of what he was wearing. Hopefully he’d be able to test that theory in Kichijoji; just with much more clothing.

Akechi digs out a pair of fitted black slacks and tugs them on, tucking a white button up into them. He moves next to his tie, black and white striped, and it’s tied around the collar of his shirt with a practiced, mindless ease. Glancing at his reflection, he’s happy to see that the collar seems to cover most of the bruising...Not all of it, but a little bit of makeup should help cover what’s remaining.

He’s standing now in front of a small, instant coffee maker after finishing the rest of his morning duties, watching the admittedly terrible liquid drip down into a black tumbler when he feels his phone vibrate. It’s a message from none other than his newly acquired associate, Akira:

**[Kurusu 9:07 AM:** morning, akechi. just saw the news and your texts. i’ll head to kichijoji asap. boss said he won’t need me for today. see you there. **]**

…

That settled that, he supposed. He’s mildly irritated that the other will be joining him sooner rather than later; Akechi had to take care of his  _ actual  _ work first, and having Akira tagging along like a puppy would be a hindrance. Maybe he’ll stay out of the way, but judging by what he saw of the other’s nature, he somehow doubted that.

Akechi doesn’t bother to message him back right away; he’ll respond once he gets into the neighborhood. 

Shitty, bitter coffee in one hand and a briefcase containing all sorts of detective-y goodies (along with a few more geared towards hunting), Akechi exits his apartment and begins his trek to the train station. 


End file.
